Davie

Submitted by Gary Corderman D-2510

I think a jumper/pilot named Fred (Dehavoline or something like that operated a Howard out of Davie. He died in a jump plane accident early '60s (jumpers got out); and I made my first couple jumps there in '68 (think the operator at the field was Woody ...., with blue C-180.  Also think Richard Schuford, D-100, around '62 operated a jump operation in Davie, FL after Pop opened his commercial center in Clewiston, FL. A lot of jump ops in Davie, FL in the '60s. Scroll past the photo for more info.

This information is from the following discussions: Recently talked with 2 members of the original 1959 Broward Skydivers Club, Pete Wenk, D-135 and Don DeLaMar D-228 about DZ's in the Davie, FL area. At the May 2014 SFPI Reunion also talked with Poppenhager, D-47, and Glenn Bergethon other original members. In the late '60's while working at SFPI, Indiantown, had met and talked with other members of the original Club... Marty Horvath, D-88 (RIP); Louis Bell, D-289; and John Coppe, D-265 (RIP).

Broward Skydivers was started by Poppenhager, D-47, and four others in 1959; and the club name was changed in 1960 to South Florida Parachute Association (SFPA) when the Club grew to over a 100 members from Counties besides Broward County.] In 1960, it was the largest club in the United States.

The Club jumped out of a field in Davie, FL. However, in 1962 they were ejected from their dropzone field when a Jr. College was to be built at the original Davie location. They found another barely useable field in west Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The a/c take-off length was marginal and jumpers warned that it was just a matter of time until a plane full of jumpers went into the trees at the end of the "runway". The next week they noticed a number of trees were mysteriously cut down, right where the aircraft would fly over on takeoff.

After the attempt to operate in West Ft. Lauderdale, the Club (SFPA) moved in 1962 to another field in Opa Locka, (Miami) FL. The club rented a space and setup an actual club Parachute Loft. (Previously, much of the parachute loft work of the club was done where Poppenhager worked as a USAF civilian rigger during the evenings and at member's homes.)

South Florida Parachute, Inc. (SFPI), the Commercial Skydiving Center, was started out of the Opa Locka field in 1962. The incorporated business was started by Paul Poppenhager, D-47, President; Pete Wenk, D-135, a/c mechanic; Johnny Myers who owned a C-180; and Marty Horvath, D-88.

The Opa Locka (Miami) operation did not survive due to FAA problems due to aircraft congestion in the Miami area. So, in 1962 the business (SFPI) moved to the much more remote Airglades Airport, Clewiston, FL. Clewiston was on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, and a considerable (long) drive from the populated southeast coast of Florida.

With Clewiston being remote and locals really only jumping on weekends, they decided to hold the first SFPI Accuracy & Style Money Meet at the end of 1962 in Clewiston to attract "snowbirds" from the north to their South Fla. dropzone. The "large" prize money attracted enough competitors to this first SFPI Money Meet to make the meet a great success, and helped to spread the word in the north that Clewiston was a great place to jump during the winter.

Within months of moving SFPI from Opa Locka to Clewiston, Marty Horvath, D-88, one of the original partners, moved-on to other interest...seemed Clewiston did not have the desired "social life". Johnny Myers also moved-on and sold his C-180 to the business. Pete Wenk, D-135, stayed through 1962, but was draft into the army in the summer of 1963. Pete returned in the summer 1965. During this period, Don DeLaMar, D-228, built flying time as an instructor pilot and also a part-time jump pilot for SFPI.

Don DeLaMar said, while I helped Poppenhager learn to fly in Clewiston... it came naturally to him. Poppenhager is the best natural pilot Don ever knew, basically being self-taught. (Don's comments are significant, since at mid-career Don became the Chief Pilot for National Airlines and later retired as an Airline Captain.)

Don told me the story of when Pop called him to "check him out" in a Twin Beech and get his multi-engine. Don told Pop he had all of about 30 minutes in a twin beech and was not qualified. Pop said, that was not a problem he had been flying it just fine, just needed to get his license. I remember Pop telling me (in 1969) about when he "checked himself out" in his first Howard, a really hard aircraft to handle on the ground. Pop took it up the first time and wanted to see how it would handle in a power-on stall (like takeoff with jumpers). Pop said, he pulled it up and when it stalled it flipped on it's back and began to spin inverted. Not exactly a Cessna stall...lesson learned that stalling a Howard full of jumpers on take-off or even at altitude as jumpers hung all over the outside of the aircraft for a RW exit was not going to end well.

By 1965, when Pete Wenk was discharged from the Army, Don encouraged him to build flying time and try to get on with an Airline. So Don worked with Pete Wenk after 1965 to get his commercial and instrument. Pete was hired by Pan American Airlines, (as a Flight Engineer, with his A/P, since he had very little pilot time besides the basic Commercial & Instrument). Pete moved-up at PanAm and eventually retired as a Captain.